Adelaide, Feb 21 (NationPress) In a thrilling encounter at the Adelaide Oval, India achieved a hard-fought victory over Australia by 17 runs. Set against a challenging target of 159, Australia’s lower-order made a commendable effort but ultimately fell short, as India’s bowlers displayed remarkable composure until the final overs to secure the win.

India’s innings was propelled by strong performances from Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, but it was Shreyanka Patil with the ball who ensured a smooth passage for the team against the hosts.

The innings commenced steadily with Shafali Verma (7 off 6) and Mandhana (82 off 55) providing a brisk start. However, Verma quickly fell as the Australian bowlers began to show their mettle.

Mandhana and Rodrigues (59 off 46) then stabilized the innings with a solid 121-run partnership, establishing a strong position for India. While Mandhana fell just short of a century, Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh ensured that the batting order remained intact.

Ghosh’s quickfire contribution of 18 runs off 7 balls, despite a mini-collapse toward the end, helped the Women in Blue set a defendable target.

Australia's chase began poorly as Beth Mooney (6) was dismissed early, with Renuka Thakur taking her wicket in the second over. Another vital breakthrough occurred in the third over when Shreyanka Patil dismissed Georgia Voll, thanks to an exceptional catch by Renuka Singh.

Phoebe Litchfield (26) and Ashleigh Gardner (57) then formed a partnership that posed a significant challenge. Gardner's performance was particularly noteworthy, as she struck five boundaries and a six, keeping the required run rate manageable.

However, wickets continued to tumble at critical moments, with Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani claiming essential wickets, including that of skipper Sophie Molineux (6), who was dismissed lbw.

Australia’s middle-order struggled under the mounting pressure. Although Annabel Sutherland showed some fight, the team lost quick wickets. Grace Harris looked confident but was dismissed hit-wicket. Shreyanka Patil struck again, sending Sutherland back for a valuable 14 runs, leaving Australia at 143/9.

Deepti Sharma returned in the final over, delivering an impressive spell and conceding only five runs, as the visitors restricted the hosts to 150/9, clinching a 17-run victory.

With this triumph, India has taken a 4-2 lead in the multi-format series, with three ODIs and a one-off Test still to come.

Brief Scores:

176/6 in 20 overs (Smriti Mandhana 82, Jemimah Rodrigues 59; Annabel Sutherland 2-34, Kim Garth 1-25) defeated Australia 159/9 in overs (Ashleigh Gardner 57, Phoebe Litchfield 26; Shreyanka Patil 3-22, Shree Charani 3-32) by 17 runs.